


Window Fragments

by weonvu (genisaurion)



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: (the angst is more just like ~emotions~ more than anything tbh), Eventual Happy Ending, M/M, Trying to balance the angst with humor but I'm sorry in advance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 08:59:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16215767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genisaurion/pseuds/weonvu
Summary: Wonwoo remembers the days of his not-so-distant youth, when he insisted he was impervious to showing emotion, when he scoffed at his friend Mingyu for pining over a girl he would never have the courage to ask out. Love was complicated, and he had no interest in getting involved. But one day, on the other side of the ocean, he meets someone who has him rethinking his assumptions. Yet without a proper foundation, and without a plan, could Wonwoo truly give love its fair chance?





	Window Fragments

**Author's Note:**

> AU-ish. I promise a happy ending but will apologize in advance for everything before the ending.  
> Every chapter will start with a scene in the present, followed by scenes in the past. The tense should signal which occurs where, but I’ll try to keep this structure the same (i.e. one present scene only per chapter, at the start of each chapter) so it doesn’t get too confusing.

It’s raining outside. Fitting, Wonwoo thinks.

He’s in his apartment, perched on the side of his mattress. He’s alone, and it’s dark: the light switch is too far away, and he can’t be bothered. He’s dressed in a nice suit (he thanks his roommate for ironing it for him, when he otherwise would have forgotten), though it’s a little loose around the legs. Once, a friend told him to get it fitted. Wonwoo insisted it wouldn’t look good, not with his body type.

It’s ironic it’s that friend though. The one he can’t bring himself to face.

He vaguely acknowledges his phone buzzing somewhere in the background. From the sounds of the vibration, it’s probably on his desk. Again, he can’t be bothered. He can take several guesses who it is, though. Perhaps it’s Soonyoung, who he promised to pick up on his way to the church. Perhaps it’s Junhui, his roommate, wondering if he’s left the apartment yet, or if he’s wearing the tie he insisted that Wonwoo wear. Who it probably isn’t… though….

His hands begin to tremble. The paper between his fingers, although sturdy, and decorated with lavish fonts and colors, threatens to slip from his grasp. Wonwoo knew this day would come, and yet…

‘You are cordially invited’ are the first words that get blotched. Today’s date is the second victim of Wonwoo’s tears.

Wonwoo wonders when he became this way. He remembers firmly the days of his not-so-distant youth, when he insisted he was impervious to showing emotion, when he scoffed at his friend Mingyu for pining over a girl he would never have the courage to ask out. Maybe the difference was their age. Maybe the difference was Wonwoo was not alone, back then. Maybe there was something that changed him.

Wonwoo’s phone is ringing, now. He knows he’s running late, but he can’t get himself to leave the bed. The moment he stands up, is the moment he accepts what will happen.

And then, everything will truly be all over.

Instead, Wonwoo wipes his eyes, tries to recollect himself as he gazes out the window.

It’s dreary outside, Wonwoo thinks, but it’s just as dark inside, too, within his heart.

\--~--  
\--~--

Wonwoo wouldn’t have gone if the plane ticket hadn’t been bought for him. He had no business going, either, except for an overly eager friend who was scared to fly alone.

“Shouldn’t you be saving this for your honeymoon,” Wonwoo had asked, to which Mingyu had replied with, “Would you feel better, then, if I proposed to you right now?”

Wonwoo knew it wasn’t like that, not when the whole reason Mingyu was flying to America was to meet a girl his mother had introduced him to. It was curious to Wonwoo why Mingyu was being expected to see women in America, when there were plenty of nice women at their university, or even just in Seoul. Mingyu never had a response whenever Wonwoo asked—although admittedly, it had only been once or twice.

He’d said yes, naturally, and not just because he was getting a free vacation out of this. He knew Mingyu well, grew up with him since late elementary school. Accompanying Mingyu would be a far better use of his winter vacation than stressing over the next school term. Plus, Mingyu had apparently worked “so painfully hard” to ask his parents for the second plane ticket.

So that was how Wonwoo found himself in Los Angeles. And as he expected, it was leagues better than any alternate plans he could have made, because (1) it was much warmer here than Seoul in January, and (2) there were so many opportunities to tease Mingyu that there was no bound to his amusement.

“Shinhye is _not_ jealous,” Mingyu insisted one afternoon, as the pair were wandering aimlessly in the streets. Shinhye, of course, being Mingyu’s childhood friend, and the girl he probably would have asked out ages ago if he could stand up to his parents.

“Even after that photo you took on the beach? So many women in swimsuits…”

“Pfft, if I’m in the photo, she’ll only look at me.”

Wonwoo rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his chest. Tomorrow would be the day when they’d meet Rachel for the first time. According to Mingyu, she was born in Korea but moved to California when she was still young. Their parents once worked together, which was how the connection was being made. Now, she attended the University of California – Los Angeles, and she lived on her own.

Wonwoo had to admit she was pretty, and for her age she was quite successful. In the summer following her third year she worked as an intern for a major technology firm, and apparently her performance had secured her a full-time job to start following her college graduation. Her parents were pretty well-off too, as the owners of some company in San Francisco that Wonwoo had never heard of. He could see the appeal for wanting to marry someone like her.

What he wasn’t sure of, though, was whether Mingyu would be interested in her at all. Obviously, Mingyu had enough interest to take the plane ticket, though if their first days in America were any signal, then it was clear Mingyu was seeing this as an escape from Korea and his family. The fact that Mingyu was talking more about Shinhye than Rachel told Wonwoo where his friend’s priorities were.

“Love is complicated,” Mingyu warned, clicking his tongue. “Don’t get involved.”

“Trust me,” Wonwoo replied, scoffing. “I’m not interested in the slightest, and there’s no woman you could find that’ll make me change my mind.”

“Now you have to make me your best man,” said Mingyu, a smirk tugging the corners of his lips. “And then I’ll mention this very moment and call you out on how you were wrong.”

Wonwoo shook his head, lightly hitting his friend’s shoulder. “So, do you want me to fall in love or not? I can’t tell which side you’re on.”

“Avoid love, but get married,” Mingyu concluded. The smile on his lips faded momentarily, but before Wonwoo could ask what was on the other’s mind, Mingyu tugged on Wonwoo’s sleeve as he jerked his head toward a café further up the street. “Wanna grab a coffee before we hit up the theater?”

Wonwoo had no reason to decline, so he didn’t. Even if he didn’t want coffee (he did), he would have rationalized the decision for the AC, and although it wasn’t that hot outside it was definitely warmer than what he was used to. His complaints were the first words to leave his lips when they entered the shop, which to Wonwoo’s surprise was somewhat empty. Wonwoo even stopped midsentence, feeling bad for intruding an otherwise quiet space.

“Odd,” Mingyu said, vocalizing Wonwoo’s thoughts, though it didn’t stop him from approaching the counter and maintaining his volume level. “Anyway, what’d you want? This one’s on me.”

“Yeah…?” Wonwoo hummed, eyes scanning the overhead menu. Naturally, the drinks were listed in English, but he had a general enough grasp of the language to understand some of what was written. “How about a latte?”

“You sure? I’d recommend something iced, since it’s so _oppressively hot_ outside.”

Wonwoo’s gaze immediately snapped down to address the barista who was now speaking to him, but many things met him that he hadn’t expected. First, Wonwoo was met with the prettiest set of eyes. Second, the barista had just spoken to them in Korean. And third…

“Yah.” Mingyu was hitting him on the shoulder, but Wonwoo could only barely register what he was saying. “Deer in headlights much?”

“It’s okay,” the barista was now saying, “I’ll assume I’m right. So, an iced coffee for him and…?”

“The same for me, I think,” Mingyu nodded. As the barista began to process their order, Mingyu turned to Wonwoo. “Yah, earth to Wonwoo. Are you really that ashamed to be called out like that? You’re really not gonna like my best man speech, you know—”

“Really, he’s getting married?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Wonwoo mumbled, finally snapping out of his trance. His gaze lingered on the barista’s nametag. Wonwoo wondered how it was pronounced.

“Joshua.”

“What?”

“Joshua.”

When Wonwoo glanced up, he found the barista smiling at him. He had _really_ pretty eyes, and a wonderful smile, too.

“You were looking at my nametag, so you were probably wondering, right? You looked like you were maybe mouthing my name, too.”

“Don’t let him fool you,” Mingyu interjected as he offered his credit card to Joshua. “He knows more English than I do.”

“Really? I wonder if I could hear it…”

Wonwoo could only stare at the barista before them, studying his expression. He wondered if Joshua was friendly like this because they were Korean as well, or if Joshua treated all the café’s customers in this way. He didn’t mind it, really. It was just… distracting. It was a much different interaction relative to others he’d received since arriving to America with Mingyu. Not to mention, Joshua’s eyes…

“ _Maybe_ ,” Wonwoo replied, in English. He intended the gesture to be lighthearted, a playful response that seemed fitting of the current atmosphere. Yet, when Joshua’s lips broke into a smile, something unfamiliar, almost uncomfortable, began to fill his insides.

“Here are your drinks,” Joshua said, still smiling softly as he offered each man his iced coffee. “Thank you for your business, please come again.”

\--~--

Mingyu had invited Wonwoo to join him if he wanted, and for a while Wonwoo had seriously considered it. He was here on Mingyu’s whim, after all, and he didn’t have much of an agenda to accomplish himself while in America. Still, even though Wonwoo was very tempted to witness how awkward Mingyu would be when meeting Rachel, he knew the better call would be to give the two their privacy.

Mingyu was already gone by the time Wonwoo woke up the next morning, though it wasn’t necessarily a hard accomplishment. The alarm clock by his bedside read 11:00 AM, and though Wonwoo chose to blame jetlag, it was also true that he was generally a person who liked his rest. Not to mention, the bed was particularly nice.

It was only once Wonwoo was dressed—a light t-shirt and jean shorts—that he noticed the scribbled note taped to the door. Frowning, Wonwoo ripped it from its place and held it close to his face.

 _‘Brunch at Mel’s Diner, if you change your mind!’_ the note read. Of course, Wonwoo had no way of knowing when Mingyu wrote the note, or whether they’d still be there if he decided to show up. It wasn’t even that Wonwoo changed his mind about joining up with Mingyu and Rachel… but he had no plans, and the prospect of spending a day alone in the city wasn’t very appealing, so he was willing to give it a shot.

As Wonwoo walked toward the diner, he wondered whether Mingyu and Rachel were at least being friendly toward each other. Although they’d only talked about it in passing, Wonwoo could only begin to imagine how Mingyu might feel, going on a date with a girl while he liked someone else back home. Wonwoo wanted to believe that Mingyu’s parents would respect his verdict and appreciate that he at least made the effort to meet Rachel. Wonwoo had come over many times in the past, and they both seemed like wonderful people. Yet, Wonwoo felt the same about his own parents, and the thought of disappointing them was a terrifying thought, even for the smallest things.

In that sense, perhaps he could relate. But he also knew Mingyu was not the best baseline for his own experiences. His parents pressured him about grades, about his future career—but seldom his romantic interests. Perhaps that was why he didn’t have very strong opinions about love or relationships, because his parents had never communicated those things as priorities. He had only dated once in his life, in middle school, and only because Wonwoo felt bad for consistently rejecting the poor girl’s confession. In the end, though, it didn’t stop him from breaking it off: He couldn’t develop feelings for her, no matter how hard he tried, for his or her sake.

Mingyu was right. Love was complicated, it would only get in his way.

“Hey, it’s you!”

Wonwoo paused, brows furrowing. Speaking of getting in his way, there was someone standing before him, quite _literally_ in his way. And apparently, he was being spoken to.

“Sorry,” Wonwoo began in English, lifting his gaze, “do I—”

“Your friend was right! Your English really is great.”

Wonwoo’s breath hitched. It had only been a day, but he already knew that smile, those eyes…

“Joshua,” the man continued, pointing at his chest as he smiled wider. “We met yesterday, remember?”

Wonwoo did remember, of course. He was just too in shock to give a proper response. Wasn’t Los Angeles supposed to be a large city?

“Y-Yeah.”

“Ah, I’m glad.” The unfamiliar feeling was back, and Wonwoo didn’t understand why. Maybe it was because he wasn’t supposed to run into anyone who could recognize him.

Yes, that was likely the reason.

“But sorry,” continued Joshua, “I was headed to work, and am actually a little late, so I can’t chat long. But I thought I recognized you, and you kinda looked lost. Was there something you were hoping to find? I noticed your friend isn’t with you, either.”

Wonwoo nodded. He wasn’t really lost, he knew where Mel’s Diner was. But it didn’t hurt to ask, right?

“Yeah, actually. Have you heard of…?”

But Wonwoo’s sentence trailed off. He was still puzzling over this man, who he’d only run into twice now. He wondered how likely it was to actually run into someone two consecutive days… whether he might run into Joshua again…

Suddenly, a different thought crossed his mind, one that did not involve intruding on Mingyu and Rachel. Ignoring the puzzled look Joshua was giving him, Wonwoo shook his head and turned on his heel.

“…you know, I could use an iced coffee. Mind if I just follow you?”

\--~--

As it turned out, the café Joshua worked at was generally not busy, regardless of the time of day. It made sense, the more Wonwoo thought about it. It was a small and quaint building, and the wooden floors coupled with the furniture contributed to a more rustic feeling—hardly the meeting place for busy city individuals. It did seem the perfect place to study, though, a quiet retreat from the Starbucks down the street. Joshua confirmed the suspicion in passing, when he mentioned appreciating the quiet and his dread for work the following week, when classes would be in session once more.

“Do you go to school?” Wonwoo asked. He was seated at a table nearest the counter and was currently the café’s only customer, so he didn’t feel bad taking up Joshua’s time.

“Yeah, at UCLA. It’s nearby. It makes this gig nice, because I can work between classes—University of California, Los Angeles,” Joshua added, perhaps noticing the way Wonwoo was mouthing the acronym to himself.

“Ah.” Wonwoo snapped his fingers. That’s why it sounded familiar. He let his thoughts briefly wander to Mingyu and Rachel, began to wonder how their day was going. By now, they surely would have left Mel’s Diner. In an alternative universe, Wonwoo would know where they were, because he would have joined them. Yet by some stroke of luck, he found himself here, with a man he was only just beginning to know better. He didn’t know what feeling he was acting on—instinct? Impulse? —but it was better than being alone or third-wheeling, so Wonwoo didn’t need any further rationalization.

“Do you happen to know someone named Rachel?”

Joshua raised an eyebrow, smiling with amusement. “Like… in general?”

“At UCLA?” Wonwoo offered, though Joshua only shook his head some more.

“One in every ten girls is probably named Rachel,” said Joshua. “But incidentally, yes, I do know a Rachel who goes to UCLA. Why?”

“Is she Korean?”

“Hey, I thought you were getting married soon,” Joshua teased, and once more Wonwoo was caught off-guard. Feeling his face heat up, Wonwoo turned away, distracting himself by sipping on his drink. Los Angeles really was a large city, there was no way he’d strike lucky twice.

“My friend’s a shit,” Wonwoo mumbled. “He’s the one thinking about marriage, not me. I’m not interested.”

“Mm, not interested, as in marriage?” Joshua hummed, leaving the counter as he took a seat at Wonwoo’s table. “Or… not interested in women?”

“Stop,” Wonwoo replied, rolling his eyes. For some reason, that earned a laugh out of Joshua.

“At any rate, I’m sorry for the joke. Being interested in Korean girls named Rachel is a very specific type, straight or otherwise.”

“It’s… fine?” Wonwoo frowned. Did he really seem that offended? Starting to feel bad for soliciting an apology, Wonwoo opened his mouth again, but Joshua cut him off before any words could leave him.

“Is… your friend’s name Mingyu, by any chance?”

Wonwoo’s eyes widened.

No.

Fucking.

Way.

Joshua knew Rachel?

How small _was_ Los Angeles?

His mind began racing, trying to recall if he or Mingyu had introduced themselves to Joshua the day prior. How else would Joshua know? He must’ve connected the dots, from him asking about a Korean girl named Rachel, to Mingyu thinking about marriage—

Wait.

Why was Joshua now laughing? Wonwoo straightened up in his seat, very perplexed. Did he miss something? Wonwoo tried to probe, but Joshua wouldn’t stop laughing. The more it went on, the more he suspected he was being had. But where was the loophole? What had he missed?

“Sorry,” Joshua said at last, after what must have felt like half an hour to Wonwoo. “His name was on his credit card, I just remembered it. But it really did seem like you were leading up to something.”

“Get out.”

“Hey, you’re in my shop, why’re you telling me to get out! –and no, don’t get out, please stay,” Joshua added hastily, a blank expression coming over his face as his eyes noticed Wonwoo’s fingers gripping the table sides. “I really am sorry. Was I right, at least?”

“Maybe,” Wonwoo conceded. He had to admit, the concern on Joshua’s face had his insides fluttering in all sorts of ways, especially since they were just as good as strangers. Nevertheless, he much preferred Joshua’s smile, so he let the incident go, offering Joshua a smile of his own. “Forgiven. But as a punishment, I won’t tell you about what I was leading up to. I’m here anyway because I’m not with Mingyu, so I’d rather talk about something else.”

“But I’m curious~”

“No,” Wonwoo said flatly. But Joshua was smiling determinedly at him, and Wonwoo already knew he couldn’t hold the ban forever, not when Joshua was looking at him like that. “Later, maybe. Tell me more about yourself.”

“So maybe… means yes?”

Wonwoo rolled his eyes. Joshua’s smile only widened.

\--~--

Wonwoo ended up spending six hours at the café, or the length of Joshua’s shift. He learned a lot: Joshua was apparently born and raised in California, having only been to Korea once to attend a cousin’s wedding. He was known in high school as the school’s drama king—not because he started drama, but because he was cast the leading role of the school’s dramas and musicals since sophomore year. Apparently, that also earned him the nickname “Gentleman Shua” among a circle of students crushing on him. Joshua also played the guitar, and occasionally played at a restaurant on Tuesday evenings. He was studying finance and music composition at the same time—only one of which he particularly enjoyed.

“It’s complicated,” Joshua had said, when Wonwoo tried to ask.

There were many other things Wonwoo learned, like how Joshua would eventually pursue an MBA, unless he struck gold with becoming a K-POP artist. (“It’s a nice back-up plan, isn’t it?” Joshua asked, and Wonwoo swore there was a certain wistfulness in his voice.) He didn’t dare say he and Joshua were close, but for someone he had met just yesterday he certainly knew a lot. For having set out that morning with no plans, a new friend on Facebook and company were certainly wins for the day. There was just one elephant in the room that Wonwoo could not bring himself to address….

“When do you go back to Korea?”

Wonwoo closed his eyes and sighed.

“Tomorrow,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”

“For what? Did you do me wrong?” Wonwoo smiled, but just as he shook his head Joshua interrupted with an outburst. “Ah, wait, you did! You never told me about your friend Mingyu. You promised, too.”

“Did I?” Wonwoo asked.

“You definitely did,” Joshua insisted. Wonwoo raised a brow. “But I forgive you, so we’re even. But if I ever visit Korea, I’m going to ping you, and you better hang out with me. Cool?”

“Do I have to hang out with you if we’re already even?” Wonwoo asked teasingly, but he found himself nodding in agreement. “Sure, let’s hang out soon. It was nice meeting you, Joshua.”

“I won’t forget, you know,” said Joshua.

“I know you won’t,” agreed Wonwoo. When Joshua smiled, he knew he wouldn’t forget, either.

\--~--

“Yah,” Mingyu hissed when Wonwoo finally returned to their room. “What the heck have you been doing, it’s already late!”

“Is it…?” Wonwoo smiled, glancing at his phone. “Ah, I suppose it is. Have you eaten yet, I might grab dinner—”

“You’re just coming back and you haven’t eaten?” Mingyu stood up slowly, eyeing Wonwoo as he shuffled through his suitcase. “… _dude_.”

“What?” Wonwoo looked over his shoulder, meeting Mingyu’s expression. He seemed… not angry that Wonwoo had come late, which made Wonwoo feel bad for his outburst. In contrast, he seemed… surprised? Amused? “Hey, what’s funny?”

“Funny?” Mingyu crossed his arms over his chest, taking a seat at the edge of his bed. “Last I checked… I was the one who was meeting with a girl? But why is it that you’re the one coming back in cloud nine?”

“What—”

“No need to be shy about it~” Mingyu exclaimed. For some reason, his voice was getting louder. Perhaps this was karma, for all the times Wonwoo had teased him on this trip. “So, who’s the lucky lady? Is she pretty? Is she blonde?”

“Forget it,” Wonwoo huffed, shutting his suitcase before getting up. “I’m not telling you. Besides… we may never meet again. But tell me about Rachel, how’d that go?”

Mingyu’s smile quickly disappeared. At first, Wonwoo was surprised. But then again, as he thought about it some more, he was not surprised at all. Mingyu’s heart had always been with someone else.

“Rachel was okay,” he said solemnly. “But it’s fine. I don’t know if we’ll ever meet again, either.”

**Author's Note:**

> See you next time! I promise to try and not take too long.  
> ([twitter](https://twitter.com/alolarcanine))


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